Poration



y 2, 19230 E. WILLIAMS 1.719.036

CABLE IDENTIFICATION TAG Filed March is, 1928 4 Elmamtoz fkwEsT WLLl/IMS 33mg, fitter/nut cables.

Patented July 2. 1929. 1

Linea e.

TNT F ERNEST WILLIAMS, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR To METROPOLITAN nEvIon con- PORATION, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A'ooRPoRATIoN on NEW YORK.

CABLE-IDENTIFICATION TAG.

Application filed. March 13,1928. Serial No. 261,207.

This invention relates to an improved tag adapted for use in identifying electric feeder Heretofore it has been the common practice to secure a metallic tag to the various electric feeder cables located. for example in street manholes. As many twenty'or thirty different cables may pass through a single manhole. The cables or feeders for the distribution of light or power carry high tension currents and are usually covered with a sheath.

In order to identify the different cables the sive use by power companies. metallic tags while servlng very well for the former practice in this art has been to loop a piece of w1re carrylng a metal tag around the sheath, said piece of wire having a porcelain.

insulating knob secured to one end. The metalllc'tags have therefore comelnto extenpurpose of identifying cables are open to the serious objection that when workmen enter a manhole or while makmg repairs or changes in the distribution layout they frequently strike the tags and produce a short circuit throu h a metal tag and its hanger on one cable to a tag and hanger on another cable.

i/Vhile theoretically the lead sheaths of feeder cables are supposed to be electrically dead, in practice there is a constant current leakage and the lead sheaths carry'this current. It is these stray currents that produce shortcircuits by the striking of. one metallic identification tag against another. This is dangerous because it causes arcing in the manhole in which gases are sometimes'accumulated', butthe more serious objection is that each time there is an arc-over. between ordinary identification tags-there is a similar are between the suspension wire and the lead sheath of the cable. from which the tags are suspended. Repeated arcing caused by short circuiting through the identification tags pits the sheath and in due time flaws occur therein. Such flaws in the lead sheath permit short circuits of the power current and are ex- But these.

metal which can be readily embossed the disk being so supported with respect to the sus pension wire by which it is secured to the cable that saidv identificationftag can not possibly come into'electrical contact with an ad jacenttag and therefore my tag will not be instrumental in completing objectionable short circ-uits. Two" embodiments of the invention are'illustrate'd inthe accompanying drawing in which Fig.1 is a sectional View showinga pair of juxtaposed cables provided with identification tags embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail of one of my tags'ready for application to a cable. v I Fig. 3 isan enlarged longitudinal section through the tag showing a preferred form of the invention.

' Fig. fl is avface View thereof partly in section.-

Fig. 5 is a detail View of a metallic disk having identifying indici'a thereon 4 Y Fig.6 illustrates a modification of identification tag in which'the tag is adapted to be secured to existing forms o f insulator's the seal having an interrupted portionfso that there is no contact between the'm'etal part and the suspension wire.

Fig. 7 is a section on line'7 -7 6. Referring in detail to the drawlng 10 represents sheathed I electrical eqnductors suchas used in the distribution ofelectric power;

These conductors are usually enclosed in unlain disk of known construction. As above indicated the metallic tags form an all too convenient path for short circuits or stray currents and such stray currents cause arcovers which in time cause a pitting of the cable sheath.

8 Instead of applying a loose metallic tag directly to thes'iis'mnsionwire I provide a metallic. disk 12 having suitable indicia em b'oss'e'd thereon such as numbers indicated at 14 and isolate the diskfrom the suspension wire. As shown in Fig. 3 the metallic disk is held within recess 16 formed'in the tag body 18 'of por'ce'lain or similar insulating material The disk 12 is preferably "somewhat dished and is provided with one or niore' recesses on'its periphery as indicated at 20 so that merely pressing the thumb ag'ai'iist th'e center of the disk it can be s'prunfginto place behind shoulder 22 formed in the'iiisula'tor body 18. To facilitate inser'tion of the disk the insulator is preferably formed with a flared or tapering mouth as indicated at The may 18 is provided with "suitable slots 26 either of which is adapted to receive hooked end 28 of a suspension wire 30, which passes around the sheath of 'thec able. Tlieo'pposilte'en'd of the suspension wire is formed with a hook 32 which is adapted to be bent aroilind suspension member 30 indicated in Fig. 1 so as to detacl'i'a'bly secure the tag body 18 carrydi'sk 12 we feec'ler cable. a

It is clear that thus arranged even though the 18 are'swu'ng albOllt and strike one another, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1', there can be no electric connection between thein because each inetalli'c disk 12 isembedded within the outlines of the dielec tri e tag 'bod'y' 18 ai di's isolated from and is in no way nnected with the suspension wire .30. y In priorpracticeftlie metallic tags weremei bers 3O and hen they [were jostled about of course fo'rin lja'n all too'conven'ient path for short cireuitin'g currents.

In Figs 6, 7 ands the tag is in the form ofqa cup-like member 35 which"is adapted to be pressed over, a known type of insulator body 37. this form of device the tag is threaded on to suspension meinformed with an annular flange 34 whichhowever is cut away at 36 so as to avoid any chance of contact between it and the suspension wire 30. Even though two adjacent tags of this type happen to contact with one.

another there will be no short circuit because there is no path by which the current can flow from the suspension wire 30 to the metallic tag.

by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claim is:

Various other modifications may be made 1. An article of manufacturecomprising a Y comprising a dielectric body having a metallic identifying member held in sprung engagenient therewith, a suspension member secured to said body but isolated; from said metallic member, said body having a slotted portion and said suspension member having one extremity hold therein and the otlierextremity formed with a hook portio'n..

3. An identifying means for electric cables comprising a dielectric body having a i ietallic identifying member secured thereto, a suspension member secured to said body but isolated from said metall c member said body havinga slotted portion and said suspension 7 member having one extremity held therein and the other extremity formed with a hook portion. a

4. An identifying means forelectric cables comprisinga dielectric body having a iiietal-- lic identif in 'IHGIHlJGTSGCUIBQl thereto asusipension member secured to said bOLlylIUt isolated from said metallic member, said body. being recessed for engagement WlliliODC eX- treniit" of said sus )e'nsion member the on .l l a L posite extremity of said'suspeiision member beingadapted for intereiigageinent with anothei'r portion thereof.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ERNEST WILLIAMS] 

